Warhammer: Empire Reboot

Lawson reached out and made a guiding gesture.

"please."

The group entered the inner court reception area of ​​the Royal Court.

The layout here is more comfortable than the lobby, with curved chairs surrounding a low table, on which are already set out drinks in both Imperial and Eldar styles.

After taking her seat, Evelynne demonstrated exceptional communication skills.

In the ensuing conversation, Evelyn made Guilliman's position very clear.

Guilliman fully respects all decisions made by the Empire's underworld. He has no objection to the structure and operation of the Dominion.

"If the Seal Holder has any needs, such as material supplies, intelligence, or technical exchanges, Guilliman will do his best to coordinate the resources of the Holy Face."

"Of course, he also hopes that a more direct communication channel can be established between the Dark Side and the Holy Side. The Great Rift should not become a permanent obstacle between the two halves of the Empire."

Evelyn's polite words were pleasant to hear and made people feel at ease, yet they also left no room for political opponents to exploit them.

Lawson also replied with a few words.

"The Dark Side has always supported the Holy Side. If the Zerg or the Necromancers threaten Terra, the Dark Side can provide reinforcements at any time."

After both sides exchanged sufficient expressions of goodwill, Evelyn's tone became more relaxed.

"Lord Lawson, to be honest, I have no official business in the dark side of the Empire this time."

She shrugged, shifting her demeanor from that of a diplomatic envoy to that of a private visitor.

"Guilliman was exhausted every day, like an old mule. That's his exact words, not something I made up. He wanted me to see how the dark side of the Empire actually worked, to travel around and see what was going on. If I found any good methods or experiences, I was to bring them back for his reference."

Lawson smiled.

"No problem at all. I don't have any defenses against you here. You can see whatever you want."

He looked at Ilancia.

“Let Ilancia accompany you. She knows more about the dark side of the Empire than most people do. You can ask her any questions you may have.”

Ilancia bowed slightly: "Envoy Everene, please give me your guidance."

The two Elven women's eyes met in mid-air.

“Then I’ll leave it to Ilancia,” Everene smiled. “I will definitely take a good look at the dark side of the Empire.”

She thanked Lawson again, her manners impeccable.

Just as Elancia had settled Everene and her party in and was about to take them on a tour from the observation deck of the Dominion, an Eldar liaison officer strode into the corridor.

The liaison officer is one of the permanent staff stationed at the Saim-Han watchtower.

"Lord Moon Blade."

The liaison officer handed over a piece of spiritual bone communication material.

“Saim-Han Ark urgently forwarded this message.”

Ilancia took the communication device and glanced at its contents.

The main communication system of the Usvi Ark was clearly severely damaged, capable of transmitting only intermittent distress pulses. However, the pieced-together information was clear enough:

The Gate to the Web has been destroyed, and the Chaos army has poured into the Ark. The Black Guard has suffered heavy casualties, and the Bone Soul Realm is being corrupted. The Council of Prophets has retreated to the core area and is requesting all possible assistance.

After watching it, Yilancia closed the communication video.

She didn't have a good impression of the Usvi Ark.

When Saim-Han was besieged by the Omen Ark fleet, the Slaanesh fleet, and the undead, he sent out a distress call to all the Arks.

Usvi Ark's response came belatedly.

By the time Rosen's army had stormed into the Saim-Han Ark and stabilized the situation, Usvi's delegation had arrived, carrying a diplomatic statement that "we also want to help, but we simply cannot leave."

Later, when Lawson showed the Eldar a map of the network routes and invited the various Arks to establish cooperative relationships, Usvi was the one who jumped out to oppose it most vehemently.

They accused Saim-Han of "selling out the Eldar heritage," accused Lawson of "coveting the Webpath," and even implied that Saim-Han had become a vassal of humanity.

Now Usvi himself is in trouble.

Moreover, since they don't have the keystone node of Lawson on their Ark, if they want to send a distress call, they can only go through Saim-Han to relay it.

Ilancia put the communication disc away and glanced at Evelynn.

"I'm sorry, messenger. There is an urgent matter that needs to be addressed."

She turned and walked toward the inner court of the Royal Court.

Lawson read through the distress message relayed by Saim Han from his command chair.

"Usvi Ark attacked?"

Ilancia, standing beside her, added details: "The Web Gate has been destroyed, and the Chaos Army has invaded the Ark. Judging from the communication fragments, the attackers include a large number of Dark Mechanicus demon engines and Iron Skeleton Apostles."

Lawson tapped his fingers twice on the armrest.

"Vashtor's troops."

Lawson recalled the intelligence pushed by the swarm intelligence a few days ago: Vashtor had initiated some kind of large-scale energy release in the warp. At the time, the specific purpose could not be determined, but now the answer was clear.

That madman forced his way in with a faulty key, which caused the internet to explode.

The Usvi Ark was located within the blast radius.

This was not a deliberate attack, but collateral damage.

However, Vashtor would certainly not let this unexpected gain slip by. A fallen Eldar ark was like a treasure trove with its doors wide open.

"Not interested."

Lawson tossed the communication disc back onto the table and looked at Ilancia.

“I only save my friends on the dark side of the Empire. A race that harbors hostility towards me is not worth the risk of sending troops.”

Ilancia understands Lawson's position.

From a purely pragmatic perspective, Lawson is absolutely right. The Usvi Ark has never shown Lawson any goodwill; rescuing them wouldn't bring any tangible reward, and he might even be betrayed later.

She was about to relay the result to Saim-Han when a voice came from the doorway.

"Excuse me, has the Usvi Ark been attacked?"

Evelynne stood at the entrance to the inner court.

She was waiting in the corridor for Ilancia to return so they could continue their tour. Upon hearing the name "Usvi," she followed her.

Lawson raised an eyebrow.

"You have connections with them?"

Evelynne entered the inner court, a hint of anxiety in her eyes.

"Your Excellency, the Master of the Seal."

"The legendary prophet Karaden of the Usvi Ark was the first among all the Eldar to attempt to awaken the god of death, Jena. While other Arks regarded the belief in the god of death as heresy, only Karaden openly supported it."

“Karaden wasn’t just my political ally; she was my mentor. When I was still in Beetleton, it was her prophecy that led me down the path of the Grim Reaper. Later, I left Beetleton, became a pirate, went to the Comoros, and was put on the kill list by the other Arks…”

"After the shattering of Biethan, I became the common enemy of all the Arks. All the Eldar believed that I had indirectly destroyed Biethan's Bone Soul Realm and demanded my execution. It was Karaden who overruled the objections and used Uswi's political influence and military power to protect me at the Council of Prophets."

"The Ark of Usvi is home to the largest cult of the Death God Jena in the galaxy. Karaden established the training base for the Death God Army on the Ark; it is my second home."

Evelyn looked at Lawson.

“Karaden has given me a second chance, and the Usvi Ark is the foundation of the Death Army. If Usvi is destroyed, the entire Death Jena resurrection plan will suffer a severe blow.”

Evelyn's reasons were valid, but that did not change Lawson's basic judgment.

“Empress Evelyn, I understand your relationship with Usvi. But you should also understand my situation.”

Lawson still refused.

“Usvi Ark is clearly hostile towards me. I saved them, but what are the chances they will be grateful? You know Eldar politics better than I do. Will the old men of the Prophets’ Council turn their backs on me after the crisis and portray my aid as a human invasion of Eldar internal affairs? Will they use this as a new pretext to oppose Saim-Han’s cooperation with me?”

Evelyn opened her mouth, because what Lawson said was true.

The Eldar's politics could indeed be heading in that direction.

There are enough conservatives in the Prophet Council to turn any goodwill into hostility.

Lawson continued, "I'm not sure if saving them would create new trouble for myself, so I refused."

Evelyn remained silent for a few seconds.

Then she did something that slightly surprised both Titus and Ventris.

She knelt down on one knee.

Jena, the Deathbringer, a legendary female protagonist of the Eldar race, never kneels before anyone, including Guilliman.

Now she was kneeling before Lawson.

“Your Excellency, I assure you that if you send troops to aid the Ark of Usvi, the Council of Prophets will not turn against you. For I will not allow them to turn against me.”

She looked up at Lawson.

"Karaden is the most influential prophet in Usvi Ark, and her trust in me is absolute. As long as Karaden is alive, she will lead Usvi Ark's external policy, and I can guarantee Karaden's stance."

“I, Evelynn, the Death Envoy, on behalf of the entire Death Army, promise you: Your assistance to the Ark of Usvi will be remembered by the Death Army, and we will repay you in the future. Our way of repaying you is not through political statements, but through concrete actions.”

Lawson looked at Evelynn kneeling before him.

His gaze unconsciously swept over the area.

Evelynn knelt upright, her Eldar combat suit tailored to her figure.

Her figure was indeed outstanding, more voluptuous than Ilancia's, and the curves of her upper body were particularly defined under the tightness of her combat suit.

No wonder the gossip channel on the dark side of the Empire calls her "Guilliman's big-breasted girlfriend".

Lawson turned his gaze away.

The important matter is the priority.

He quickly calculated the pros and cons in his mind.

The Usvi Ark itself had no direct value to him.

But Evelynn is valuable; she is Guilliman's personal messenger and the leader of the Eldar Death Legion.